Chapter 5

The wolf kept its gaze on Aurin—not menacing, not wild or predatory, but… gentle. Warm. Almost protective in a way that made her chest tighten, and Aurin could feel that strange warmth seep straight into her bones. “A-What…” she whispered, unsure if she was actually seeing it or if panic was messing with her mind. Then— “Aurin, close the window!” Raven’s voice cut through the silence, deep and sharp. In the next breath, he was already behind her, pulling her away from the window before she could even blink. Aurin jerked in surprise. She spun toward Raven—and froze. He was standing upright, steady. His breathing calm. His skin clean and unmarked. But just a minute ago… his burns were severe. She remembered the charred smell, the horrifying red-black patches across his skin. Those kinds of wounds don’t simply disappear. “K-you…” Aurin backed away, eyes widening with pure confusion. “You healed? That fast? I didn’t even do anything. This—Raven, this is insane. What are you? What exactly are you?” Raven lifted both hands as if trying to soothe her. “Aurin, just listen. I’ll explain it, I promise. But not now.” “Why not now?!” Her voice cracked, trembling between fear and bewilderment. “I just saw a giant wolf with silver eyes staring at me like—like I don’t even know! And you healed in seconds! I—Raven, I need answers!” Raven stepped closer, his voice dropping into something far more serious. “Aurin… this place isn’t safe for you anymore. The world isn’t what you think it is. You’re not standing in the peaceful, normal world you believed in.” A cold tremor ran across her skin. “What do you mean?” “You…” Raven drew a long breath, as if struggling to keep something buried. “You’re something people are fighting over. Your existence—Aurin, too many want you, and not for anything good. If they get their hands on you, you won’t survive.” Aurin gripped the wall, trying to steady herself. “Wh—why me? What do they want from me?” Raven stepped closer again, his gaze fixed on her. “Come with me. Now. If you stay here, they’ll find you. And I won’t be able to fight all of them on my own.” Aurin froze for a beat, then shook her head hard, her breaths coming fast. “No, Raven. I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t even… I don’t even understand what just happened.” Raven took a step toward her, still gentle but insistent. “Aurin, please. This isn’t the time—” “Don’t!” Aurin lifted her hand, stopping him. “Don’t force me. I’m still… I’m still shaken. A massive wolf appears at my window, you heal in one minute—and then you tell me someone wants to take me? Raven, I don’t even know if I should trust you.” Raven stiffened, jaw tightening. “I’m trying to protect you.” “By dragging me out of my own home?” Aurin shot back, her voice trembling with anger. “I didn’t have a choice,” Raven argued, more firmly. “They’re moving faster. You don’t understand how important—” “I don’t care!” Aurin’s voice rose. “You’re just scaring me more!” She clutched her chest suddenly, pain tearing through her as if something deep inside was being pulled. Raven lurched forward, panic slicing through his expression. “Aurin—what are you feeling? Why your chest—” “Don’t touch me!” She slapped his hand away. “Go.” Raven froze. His expression crumbled. He wanted to argue—she could see it—but the sight of her flushed face, trembling hands pressed to her chest, breath hitching in pain… Raven lowered his head instead, defeated. “Fine,” he said quietly, voice rougher than before. “I’ll go.” Aurin shut the door before he could say anything else. --- But Raven didn’t truly leave. He stood among the trees surrounding the old apartment building. The cold night wind brushed against him, but all he could think about was Aurin—angry, hurting, and in pain because of him. His obsession with wanting her close had blinded him. He knew that now. “I shouldn’t have pushed her…” he muttered, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles went white. “But I can’t leave her alone.” Suddenly, the bushes to his right rustled. Heavy steps. Slow breathing. A faint metallic scent in the air. Raven snapped his head toward the sound, eyes darkening. A massive black wolf stepped out from the shadows—tall, broad, its fur as dark as the night itself. Its eyes glowed faintly, watching Raven like a predator sizing up prey. Raven hissed under his breath. “You again.” The wolf strode forward, and its body shifted—bones cracking, fur withdrawing—until a man stood in its place. Wild black hair, a sculpted frame, and those cold silver eyes that could slice through a soul. Kael. His sworn enemy. And another man who had his eyes on Aurin. They stood several feet apart, staring without blinking. The tension between them was razor-sharp. “Bold of you to step into her territory,” Kael spoke first, voice like ice. “As if you have any right over her.” Raven’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t need your permission.” Kael’s lips tilted into a humorless smirk. “Of course. You always think that.” He stepped closer. “But listen carefully…” His gaze hardened. “You’re the one who won’t be taking her anywhere.” Raven growled low, voice turning lethal. “She’ll be destroyed if she stays here.” “I’m the one making sure she won’t be,” Kael replied without a flicker of doubt—as if he were stating a law of the universe. “You have no right,” Raven shot back. “She doesn’t belong to you.” Kael held his gaze, the faint glow of Aurin’s apartment windows reflecting in his silver eyes. “She doesn’t belong to anyone,” Kael said quietly, but with a cutting edge. “But if someone has to watch her… protect her…” He leaned in slightly, voice dropping. “It’s me. Not you.” The night tightened around them. Two beings who were never meant to be in the same place—ready to explode into violence at the slightest spark. Then— Grrrrrrrr… A low growl rose from the bushes. Not one. Not two. But many. Raven spun around, muscles coiled. Pairs of glowing yellow eyes lit up the darkness—feral, hungry, filled with malice. One by one, massive gray wolves stepped out of the shadows, each twice the size of an ordinary wolf, their matted fur rippling like storm-tossed wind. They fixed their sharp, predatory gazes on Raven and Kael alike. Raven cursed under his breath. “They’re here…”